It’s a high-five for CMT.
The country music television network selected Kane Brown, Luke Combs, Carly Pearce, Cody Johnson and Walker Hayes as its 2022 artists of the year and will honor them at an annual ceremony airing next month, organizers announced Wednesday.
Brown and Combs both previously earned the distinction in 2019 and 2021, while Pearce, Johnson and Hayes are receiving the honor for the first time.
“We are honored to recognize the astounding achievements of this illustrious group of artists over the past year,” Margaret Comeaux, a senior vice president at CMT, said in a statement Wednesday.
“Carly, Cody, Kane, Luke and Walker all represent the vibrant future of the country music format, as they defy convention and blaze new trails, breaking industry records and genre barriers,” Comeaux continued. “We can’t wait to celebrate their extraordinary accomplishments alongside their fellow artists and friends.”
CMT, which launched in 1983 as Country Music Television, will air the 90-minute special on Oct. 14 beginning at 9 p.m. ET, with other yet-to-be-named artists set to perform at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville, Tennessee.
The five recipients each boast recent No. 1 hits on the country charts. Brown had “Like I Love Country Music” and “One Mississippi”; Pearce had “Never Wanted To Be That Girl”; Johnson had “Til You Can’t”; Hayes had “Fancy Like”; and Combs had “Doin’ This.”
———
